Attorney
General’s Division of Criminal Justice
Charges Old Bridge Official with Using Government
Position to Obtain Personal Benefit

State
Grand Jury Indicts Director of Community
Development/Township Engineer on Official
Misconduct Charges...

Official Charged with Receiving $3,800 from
Local Developer to Pay for Landscaping Services...

TRENTON - Attorney General Peter C. Harvey
announced that the Division
of Criminal Justice has charged the
Director of Community Development/Township
Engineer for Old Bridge Township with
seeking and receiving $3,800 in financial
favors from a developer doing business
with the Township. The State Grand Jury
indictment charged official misconduct
and other corruption-related charges.

“This
indictment charges a senior township official
with demanding cash from a businessman
and developer and later using that cash
to pay for landscaping at his private
residence. He also attempted to conceal
his behavior by obstructing the ongoing
investigation by our office,” said
Attorney General Harvey. “It should
be noted that this investigation and prosecution
uncovered an insidious example of corruption
that is, unfortunately, considered ‘business
as usual’ by far too many government
officers. The Division of Criminal Justice
Major Financial Crimes Bureau has established
a specialized program to assist municipal
officials to identify and report procurement
fraud. The Attorney General’s Office
is continuing to target all forms of corruption,
at all levels of government.”

According to Criminal Justice Director
Vaughn L. McKoy, a State Grand Jury indictment
charged John P. Vincenti, 43, Tall Oaks
Drive, Brick, Ocean County, with second
degree official misconduct, acceptance
or receipt of unlawful benefit by public
servant, gift to public servant, witness
tampering, and obstructing the administration
of law or governmental function. Vincenti
is identified as the Director of Community
Development/Township Engineer for Old
Bridge Township, Middlesex County. If
convicted on all counts, Vincenti faces
up to 30 years in state prison and a fine
of up to $340,000.

Director McKoy noted that the State Grand
Jury indictment resulted from an ongoing
investigation that focused on allegations
of bribery and corruption related to the
Old Bridge Township engineering and code
department. The investigation, conducted
by state investigators assigned to the
Division of Criminal Justice - Antitrust
& Procurement Fraud Unit, is targeting
additional allegations that public employees
have solicited money or favors from developers,
contractors, and others doing business
in the Township in exchange for expedited
and/or favorable service and rulings on
applications, permits and inspections.
The investigation uncovered no evidence
that the alleged illegal activities allowed
for unsafe or under-code construction.

The indictment charges that from May through
August, 2003, Vincenti solicited and received
$3,800 which was used to pay for landscaping
services at his Ocean County residence.
The landscaping services were paid by
a representative of Atlantic Realty, an
Old Bridge developer which manages various
Old Bridge Township-area developments,
including Matchaponix Hills, Matchaponix
Estates (Rocky Creek), and Presidential
Estates. As Director of Community Development/Township
Engineer since 2002, Vincenti supervised
the Township engineering, planning and
code enforcement divisions. Vincenti was
also responsible for overseeing the permitting
functions of the department, including
fee assessment and collection, applications
and plan review, permit issuance, inspection
and occupancy.

The indictment also alleges that when
Vincenti learned that State Investigators,
armed with State Grand Jury subpoenas,
were seeking various financial records
and documents related to the alleged improper
activity, he (Vincenti) took steps to
thwart the investigation and induce potential
witnesses to lie to the State Grand Jury.

Criminal Justice Director McKoy noted
that the investigation by the Division
of Criminal Justice Antitrust Procurement
Fraud Unit utilized undercover investigative
techniques and other sophisticated investigative
procedures to document the alleged illegal
activity. In the interest of investigative
security and pursuant to established court
requirements, the Division of Criminal
Justice is limited in discussing specific
details regarding the alleged illegal
activity and investigative details, including
identifying victims and specific details
of the alleged extortion activity.

“This
type of corruption - the shaking-down
of contractors and developers for cash
and services - raises the cost of local
development by increasing the costs of
construction,” said Director McKoy.
“The Antitrust Procurement Fraud
Unit targets fraud and corruption related
to the procurement process by working
with, and providing information to, New
Jersey municipal officials so they can
identify and report procurement fraud.”

Deputy Director and Assistant Attorney
General Andrew Rossner and Deputy Attorney
General Steven Zweig coordinated the investigation.
Supervising State Investigator Kim Karasiewicz
and State Investigators Susan Marshall
and Kimberly Allen of the Antitrust Procurement
Fraud Unit conducted the investigation.
Additionally, the Division of Criminal
Justice investigation was assisted by
the administration of Old Bridge Mayor
James T. Phillips, the Old Bridge Township
Council, and the Office of Township Attorney.
The investigation tracked the 2003 report
compiled by the State Commission of Investigation
which detailed allegations of corruption
and favors in the county and municipal
home inspection process.

The indictment was handed-up to Mercer
County Superior Court Judge Linda R. Feinberg,
the Supervising Judge of the State Grand
Jury, on Jan. 12. The defendant will be
required to appear in Middlesex County
Superior Court at a future date for arraignment
and bail.

The defendant is presumed innocent of
the charge unless and until proven guilty
in a court of law. A copy of the State
Grand Jury indictment is available via
the Division of Criminal Justice Web site
at www.njdcj.org.